Susan May Warren: Wait for Me

By Kelly Bridgewater

Pete Brooks can't believe he's waited an entire year for Jess Tagg to return to Montana, only to have her break his heart by getting engaged to her ex-fiancé. Worse, a series of mistakes on the job have cost lives, and Pete isn't sure he wants to continue to work in Search and Rescue. Maybe if he can just get over Jess, he can figure out how to move forward.
EMT Jess Tagg has returned to Montana to finally give her heart to Pete, but it seems he's no longer interested. When a terrible fight between them sparks an impulsive decision, she finds herself crashed on the side of a highway along with Esme Shaw. And just when she thinks things couldn't get any worse, she and Esme are taken captive and into the untamed Montana wilderness--with murderous intent.
Now Pete and the other PEAK Rescue Team members are in a race against time, the elements, and the actions of a vengeful man. Pete will have to use everything he's learned to find Jess and Esme--and pray that his past mistakes don't cost him the life of the woman he can't stop loving.

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

Susan May Warren has been an author I have recommended to many people. She knows how to create such tragic characters who are hurting, and she does a wonderful job at allowing the setting to jump from the page. Her final installment in her Montana Rescue, Waitfor Me, finally allows me to learn the back-story and watch the hurt and growth of Pete Brooks. I was happy to watch the final installment unfold before my eyes.

The setting always grabs me in Warren's writing. From the first page, she does a wonderful job at inviting me into the Montana wilderness and allowing me to travel with the characters as they run for their lives. I enjoy how Warren allows the emotions between Jess and Pete to jump off the pages.

Speaking of the romance, it jumped off the pages. Warren really jumps into the emotions of Jess and Pete. Sometimes it was even too much for me. I skimmed through the pages, hoping not to see so much sappy feelings. It felt like a hallmark movie to me. Pete has been pining for Jess since the beginning, so it was no surprise to see his emotions, but they were really heightened in Wait for Me.

The plot captured my attention. I had a hard time putting the novel down. The plot moved quickly and had a lot of tension, begging me to flip through the story at a rapid pace. I loved how the emotions mirrored the drama in the action. When one rose, the other one did in its intensity.

One of Warren's strengths is her ability to create deeply wounded characters who are running from their love or a potential love and then running from God. I'm amazed at how Warren actually can come up with different elements to create such a diverse cast of humbled characters.

Overall, Wait for Me by Susan May Warren is a unique and tension-filled conclusion to her Montana Rescue series. While I loved the plot and the character, sometimes the romantic thoughts between Pete and Jess felt over the top for me. Since I admire Warren's stories and writings, I anxiously await Warren's next series.

I received a complimentary copy of Wait for Me by Susan May Warren from Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

About the Author:

From Amazon

Growing up in Minneapolis and attending the U of MN, I learned to love city life, although I'm a woodsy girl at heart. Or maybe I'm an adventurer -- having lived and traveled all over the world, including Siberia Russia as a missionary for eight years. Probably that's why my characters can't sit still, and seem to get into one scrape after another -- they're too much like me! I love God, my family, my country, my church, and feel (Taken from Amazon.)

Susan May Warren: Storm Front

By Kelly Bridgewater

A tornado has destroyed a small Minnesota community and among the missing are not only a group of students but PEAK Rescue team leader Chet King. Ty Remington will stop at nothing to rescue his mentor, not even when the girl he loved--and lost--walks back into his life. But Brette needs his help more than he knows, despite her stubborn determination to push him away. And when he gets a second chance, loving her just might cost him more than he can imagine.

A blogger for Vortex Storm Chasers, Brette Arnold didn't expect her adventures to land her in the same place as Ty, the guy who she walked--no, ran--from over a year ago. She had her reasons--good ones. The kind that tell her that falling for him again would only lead to heartache. But Ty isn't the kind of man to give up--not on the missing students, or on her.

Life and love hang in the balance in Susan May Warren's breathless story of holding on to hope during a deadly summer of storms.

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

Susan May Warren is one of my go-to writers when it comes to pleasure reading. With her Montana Rescue series, it is an unique idea featuring a rescue team from Montana who travels to save other members of the team. One of my favorite features is the dynamic team who appears over and over in all of the books. Including in her latest Storm Front. The book maybe Ty and Brette's love story, but the other members have come to the rescue during a tornado outbreak in Minnesota. A previous couple also takes center stage in showing their progression in their current relationship. While the plot twist and turned, I eagerly turned pages waiting to see what would happen. Would they find the missing people? Would Brette and Ty allow their walls to fall down and seek the love they knew they needed? The romance didn't feel cheap or sappy to me either. Warren does a good job at showing their realistic fears and allowing me to empathize with the characters. The only issue I had with the plot is the cliff-hanger at the end of the novel. Why does Warren do that to me? Of course, I'll return to the conclusion of the series, Wait for Me,  but the ending made me grip my Kindle and wander why. Overall, I believe fans of Susan May Warren's writing will enjoy this novel and be wrapped up in all the tension and romance we have come to expect from Warren.

I received a complimentary copy of Storm Front by Susan May Warren from Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Susan May Warren: Troubled Waters

By Kelly Bridgewater

Billionaire Ian Shaw can have everything he wants--except a happy ending. Or at least that's what it feels like with his fortune recently liquidated, his niece, Esme, still missing, and the woman he loves refusing to speak to him. In fact, he doubts she would date him even if they were stranded on a deserted island.

Despite her love for Ian, Sierra Rose knows he has no room in his life for her as long as the mystery of his missing niece goes unsolved. The only problem is, Sierra has solved it, but a promise to Esme to keep her whereabouts secret has made it impossible to be around Ian.

When the PEAK chopper is damaged and Sierra lacks the funds to repair it, Ian offers a fundraising junket for large donors on his yacht in the Caribbean. But the three-day excursion turns into a nightmare when a rogue wave cripples the yacht and sends the passengers overboard. Shaken up and soaked to the bone, Ian finally has a chance to test his theory when he and Sierra do indeed find themselves washed up on a strange, empty shore.

It will take guts and gumption for the PEAK team to rescue the duo. But it will take a miracle to rescue Ian and Sierra's relationship.

From Amazon

 

My Thoughts:

Susan May Warren is my go-to author when it comes to description and telling a captivating story from the first chapter. With her Montana Rescue series, I haven't been that excited about the series. The first two books were okay, but not great. Not what I expect from Warren. A Matter of Trust was a little better. I was hoping for a much better novel with Troubled Waters, and I was right. Troubled Waters is my favorite book in the series so far.

Having read all three previous books in the Montana Rescue series, I really couldn't wait until Warren got around to fully exploring Ian and Sierra's relationship. They have been hinted out and played around in the background since the first book, but I have never gotten their full story. I didn't know what really broke them and made them into a realistic characters. But finally, Warren allowed me to see their story, and I'm glad that she did.

The writing is clear and concise. I go to Warren when it comes to describing a place. I have studied and studied and tried to mimic her style in describing places, but I'm no where good as she is. I love how I can feel the wind in my hair or the sun beating down on me. In Troubled Waters, she made me cringe with the number of water's scenes. I hate water, so this book made me cringe even more than normal.

As for Ian, he is a broken man who tries to place order in his life. In Troubled Waters, I saw a humble and broken man who transforms into something wonderful. I admired him more and more as the story progressed. He made me fall in love with him just like Sierra did. As for Sierra, she is also a broken woman who wanted better things. Ian included. The story of forgiveness and transformation reached really down hard into me and reminded me of some areas of my life that I need to forgive.

I really enjoyed the plot in this one. Might because of all the survival shows my husband has watched and I catch while reading next to him. I thought of ways Ian and Sierra could have used things nearby to survive. Like I said earlier, I don't like deep water and stay far away from lakes, oceans, or anything to do with those things, so Troubled Waters had many moments of me wanting to flip through the pages, but I'm glad I didn't. I really enjoyed the high action plot with Ian using his survival skills to save others.

Overall, Troubled Waters by Susan May Warren is a fast-moving story set in the hills of Montana and traveling down to the Florida Keys with a top-notch survival of key players. The characters transformation was my favorite part of the story. I believe fans of Warren's previous works will be glad to see another great book. Fans of contemporary romance will enjoy this novel too. It does have a lot of romance in it.

I received a complimentary copy of Troubled Waters by Susan May Warren from Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Susan May Warren: A Matter of Trust

By Kelly Bridgewater

Champion backcountry snowboarder Gage Watson has left the limelight behind after the death of one of his fans. After being sued for negligence and stripped of his sponsorships, he's remade his life as a ski patrol in Montana's rugged mountains, as well as serving on the PEAK Rescue team. But he can't seem to find his footing--or forget the woman he loved, who betrayed him.

Senator and former attorney Ella Blair spends much of her time in the limelight as the second-youngest senator in the country. But she has a secret--one that cost Gage his career. More than anything, she wants to atone for her betrayal of him in the courtroom and find a way to help him put his career back on track.

When Ella's brother goes missing on one of Glacier National Park's most dangerous peaks, Gage and his team are called in for the rescue. But Gage isn't so sure he wants to help the woman who destroyed his life. More, when she insists on joining the search, he'll have to keep her safe while finding her reckless brother--a recipe for disaster when a snowstorm hits the mountain.

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

I enjoy Susan May Warren's writing. She knows how to dig deep into her characters and bring the setting to life. I have enjoyed everything she has written from the romantic suspense to the contemporary romance. She seems to have a magic touch when it comes to writing stories that reach her audiences. As for her newest edition to the Montana Rescue series, A Matter of Trust, I enjoyed the setting with the snow and enjoyed the rescue down the mountainside.

The writing is clear, crisp, and concise. Just the way a good story should be written. Warren does such a great job at bringing her audience into the setting. It is her greatest strength in my humble opinion. With a touch of snow and trials, Warren allowed me to feel the wind in my hair and see the sparkling snow as I traveled down the mountainside with Ella and Gage. This has been one of my favorite settings of Warren's novels.

As for the plot, the rescue of Ella's brother, Oliver, hinges on the ability for Ella to keep up with Gage. Ella is a brave woman who has put on the mask to appear worthy of her parents' legacy. Ella's transformation story is a great lesson to us all. On the other hand, Gage is a wounded man who is trying to hide from his past and his deep wounds. I adore men with long hair, so it could be why Gage seemed more swoon worthy for me than the previous heroes. The plot started out kind of slow moving, but then it picked up pace and kept moving alongside like an avalanche, taking down everything in its path.

The romance was the type of romance that started three years later and was burnt, but Warren allowed them to pick up where they left off and heal some bridges to hunt for the reality of love. If Ella and Gage didn't have the history, I would have said the romance was too rushed, but because of their shared history, it wasn't rushed.

The spiritual element becomes stronger the further I traveled in the novel, but nothing too preachy. It deepened the characters, making them more relatable. The story is predictable and the plot reads like most mountain rescue stories I have read, but there aren't too many of them, so Warren should be safe. I recommend A Matter of Trust to fans of Warren's previous' writing.

I received a complimentary copy of A Matter of Trust by Susan May Warren from Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Susan May Warren: Rescue Me

By Kelly Bridgewater

When Deputy Sam Brooks commits to something, nothing can sway him--not just on the job as liaison between the Mercy Falls sheriff's department and PEAK Rescue, but in his private life. He's the one who stuck around to take care of his mother after his father's accidental death. And he's the one--perhaps the only one--who believes Sierra Rose is the perfect girl for him. Safe, practical, and organized, she's nothing like her hippie, impulsive, bleeding heart sister, Willow.

Willow, however, has been in love with Sam Brooks for as long as she can remember. But she wants her sister to have a happy ending. Besides, Willow has other things to focus on--namely, nabbing the job as youth pastor for her small-town church. Best thing for her to do is to purge Sam from her heart.

Neither can predict the events that will bring them together in a fight for their lives in the forbidding wilderness of Glacier National Park. Stranded, injured, and with the winter weather closing in, Sam and Willow will have to work together to save a crew of terrified teenagers. As they fight to survive, they might just discover a new hope for love.

 

From Amazon

My Review:

Susan May Warren is my go-to writer for every genre. She has written historicals, cozy mysteries, romantic suspense, and contemporary romances. While I have enjoyed all her books, her first book in the Montana Rescue series, Wild Montana Skies, was not my favorite book by her, but I have given Warren another chance with the release of her second book, Rescue Me. With a daring rescue through the mountains and romance sparking all over the pages, I was drawn into the characters' lives.

Like always, Warren does a good job with her clear and concise writing. She does a great job at creating a setting that I have no problem visualizing as I'm reading. Warren does not head hop. Usually there is a page break or beginning of a new chapter to signal a point of view shift, which is especially important in this book because Warren has told the story from four different point of views.

The four point of views are Willow, Sam, Peter, and Jess. Willow is a brave woman who truly loves and lives for the Lord, but she has flaws, so she sees herself as imperfect and unfit for anyone. Whereas, Willow truly has a great grasp on the love of God in her life, Sam has a hard time believing God actually loves him after allowing his father to die. Sam is stuck in a relationship with Willow's sister, Sierra and has conflicting emotions toward Willow. Peter and Jess have issues that need to be resolve, maybe they'll get their own story later. As for now, I wanted to know what happened in New York for Jess, but Warren kept me guessing. Must return for another book, I hope.

While the story centered around finding Willow and the youth group that she takes up into the mountains, again, the plot does move at a nice pace, keeping me glued to the story. But . . . the downside to the story is the romance. It takes over the whole story. Every thought the characters have seems to be about whether this member of the opposite sex likes so and so. It was annoying. You're lost in forest with dropping temperatures and the threat of a huge snowstorm, so why are you worried about the feelings of another person? Yes, it can cross the characters mind now and then, but not every second there in this person's presence.

Willow shares the theme of the novel by stating, "we're supposed to be overwhelmed because if we can save ourselves, then why do we need God (243)?" There is some truth to that, but I don't like to think that since I follow God, then I'm supposed to be drowning in trials and troubles all the time. Why follow God then? Yes, I see the need to struggle, so we can reach out of her dilemma's and reach for God, but not all the time.

Overall, Rescue Me was much better than Wild Montana Skies, but I struggled with the overwhelming romance. It appeared to be a high school romance with too much drama. I enjoy the setting and the plot. This predictable and unoriginal story reminded me a lot of Hawk by Ronie Kendig. Hero's trying to save children through a snow storm. Fans of Warren's other stories should definitely pick this book up.

I received a complimentary copy of Susan May Warren's Rescue Me from Revell Publishing and the opinions stated are all my own. 

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars 

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